2. Birmingham Color Tunnel– Looks so fun on a night out. I need a friend and her children to go with me.

3.Seeds Coffee– Love the premise, and I am willing to try a Chia Tea anywhere!

4. Niki’s West– My friend Lacy couldn’t believe I have never been here. Andy went once with a group, and he said is was scary. He who takes a little time making up his mind was nervous as he kept letting others go ahead of him and risked the wrath of the staff demanding to know what he wanted to eat.

5.Birmingham Barons game at Regions Park-The stadium looks great, and I have heard fun reports from friends.

6. Ashley Mac’s– I have eaten their food at a catered event; however, I have never darkened the door. Frou-frou is my favorite.

7. Saw’s BBQ– It smells great when I go to get my cupcakes from Dreamcakes. Wonder how good it is.

8. Birmingham Food Trucks– I really wanna try something from one! Food trucks are so hip, and I need hipness.

9. The Alabama Biscuit Company-saw this on Facebook…I think Suzanne and Jamie have been there. Girls?

10. El Barrio– We almost went once with Brett and Lindsay. It was Saturday, and we didn’t want brunch.

In case anyone might be interested…I would like to give props to some of my favorite places here in the Magic City area. If you don’t live in Birmingham but are planning to visit, these are the places we took our friends and family to when they would come.

Feel free to share yours, too. I would love to know how our lists compare.

Best Cupcakes: Dreamcakes- My favorites are Wedding Cake, Over the Moon, and Chocolate High.

Best Frou-frou place to have a Girl’s Lunch: Olexa’s – and oh, their cakes are so delicious! Laura Ann introduced me to this place, and we have shared several speech pathology conference lunches here.

Best Dinner with the Hubby: GianMarco’s- such fun memories of celebrating Andy’s birthday here with Todd, Kristi, Les, and Jennifer one year. Delicious food, great conversation, and a well dressed older man coming to our table to wish Andy a happy birthday. He had asked our waiter if he could have a slice of Andy’s birthday cake from Olexa’s that I brought in for after dinner. We shared :).

Best BBQ: Shane’s Rib Shack- reminds me of Memphis Style BBQ..slaw on top of the sandwich and sweet, vinegar-based sauce.

Best Sushi: Surin…lots of fun memories here with the Mims family, the Turnbows, the Finufs, and the Barnettes. Liz taught me all about sushi here. I also remember Lacy’s 30th birthday surprise party and one Christmas Eve with Lacy. Pad Thai Noodle, Super Crunch, and Yummy Yummy Rolls. Delish.

Best Local Italian: Joe’s Italian…delicious homemade bread, huge pieces of cake, Mama twirling a red napkin and dancing while the accordion plays on Friday nights…fun times.

Best Breakfast: Another Broken Egg-reminds me of Destin, and the Cinnamon Roll French Toast with Bananas Foster sauce is what you should order. Thanks for introducing us, Blake and Mindy!

Best Mexican: Cocina Superor for their butter sauce that accompanies their Fajitas and their Queso; Superior Grill for their Queso and Quesadillas; Margarita Grill for Queso, Salsa, Rice, and outdoor patio experience; and Little Donkey for freshness and market corn. Raise your hand if you need a Mexican fix once a week. It is in my DNA-muchas gracias Billy and Sue! I do not have a Hispanic heritage; I come from a long line of eaters.

Best Cookie Place: Icing on the Cookie-soft, thick sugar cookies with almond icing….ah!

Best Grocery: Earth Fare- love the size and all the healthy options. Love comparing deals of the week via text with Samantha and Jennifer at work. The App is great!

Best Outdoor Spot: Oak Mountain State Park-every year we took the exceptional education students to the Gone Fishing event. If you have never climbed down to Peavine Falls, you are missing out. The lake is the most beautiful when it is reflecting the autumn leaves- breathtaking!

Best Outdoor Lunch Spot: Bottega Café- once again Laura Ann introduced me to this place. Chicken Scallopini is fabulous!

Best Women’s Conference: reCreate at Church of the Highlands. Boy, do they do it well. I don’t have plans to come back to Alabama, but I might travel for that!

Best Limeades and BLTs: Gilchrest-thanks Laura Ann!

Best Casual Fare with Friends: Rojo-such a colorful, fun spot. Good food, dogs on leashes nearby, beautiful park across the street.

Best Place to Toodle Around: Mount Laurel-fun shops, vendors on Saturdays.

Well, I know am surely forgetting some of my favorites, but I would love to know yours! Maybe I can squeeze them into the next 20 1/2 days. Whew, so many of my favorite places are restaurants. Gotta go work out. Really.

*My second attempt at posting this…apologies if it is a duplicate! Anyway, I love this list so much! I am just so enamored with this sweet city of ours. If you haven’t experienced the breakfast buffet at Brock’s (Ross Bridge), be sure to do that before your departure!